Blissfield store focuses on repurposed items

Monday

Jul 22, 2013 at 6:00 AM

By Arlene BachanovDaily Telegram Special Writer

Giving old furniture a new look, or even turning a piece into something completely different, has been Holly Northcutt’s specialty for a long time now. Now she has a storefront of her own at which to sell some of her wares, to teach others how to use the same techniques and to use as her workshop.

Northcutt, who has been making pieces for many years and began selling them about three years ago, opened Tattered Gypsy at 117 W. Adrian St., Blissfield, in April. She will also continue to have a space at Decades Antique Mall in Blissfield, allowing her to showcase some pieces there and draw interest for her nearby store.

Tattered Gypsy sells a wide array of the furniture and other items Northcutt has created, along with materials from the Van Gogh Chalk Paint Collection including the company’s paints, sealants, glazes, crackle and brushes.

Chalk-based paint is her medium of choice because of its ease of use and the look it can give furniture. It adheres with no need for primer and as it cures it calcifies and hardens, meaning it is quite durable. And it can be used to create the “shabby chic” look that is popular today because “it distresses well,” said Northcutt.

Northcutt also teaches workshops on topics such as how to get started in using the techniques on participants’ own pieces. She also does custom work for people who want the look on an item of their own but don’t wish to tackle it themselves.

Tattered Gypsy, which was a name Northcutt said she settled on a long time ago in case she ever did have her own shop, sells “a little bit of everything,” she said, from furniture to jewelry to outfits for babies, all of which she has made or repurposed herself.

She gets the items she repurposes in a whole range of places, from scouring sales to picking up things that are left on the side of the road. And she enjoys the creativity involved in giving old things new life. Headboards might be turned into benches or coatracks, for example, or old drawers could have wheels added and become perfect under-bed storage bins.

“Anyone who follows me on Facebook always wants to know what I’ve found and what I’m going to turn it into,” she said.

Tattered Gypsy is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Her workshops are offered on Sundays and Mondays.

The shop can be reached at 682-1067. Information on the items she currently has for sale and about upcoming workships is on the store’s website, www.tatteredgypsy.com.

This article was written based on information provided by the business.

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